Bend it Like Blake
by thechosenspot
Summary: Clarke and Bellamy have been enemies since Clarke was in kindergarten. And now, the two are forced to work together as the high school's soccer teams captains are combining their teams for a fundraiser. The two have to learn how to leave their pasts behind them to show their town and their teammates they are stronger together or else they'll lose to the Greenfield Grounders.
1. Chapter I: The Game Plan

"Take it easy, Clarke," laughed Raven. "What did the ball ever do to you?"

Clarke continued to shoot the balls she had lined up outside the goalie box in the top left corner of the net. Despite Clarke being a goalie, her teammates knew she could play any other position as well or if not better than they could. If her mother had not been the best goalie their high school had ever seen (until her daughter), Clarke would be playing midfield.

But the choices were not up to Clarke. It did not mean that she wouldn't fucking plummet the ball into the net whenever she got the chance.

"It's just a fundraiser game," said Raven taking a few shots of her own, low yet powerful. Clarke was not happy when she heard that Principal Jaha was making the two soccer teams combine their numbers for a charity game. She of course was not upset because all the money was going to a school dance instead of a worthy cause. She really wasn't. As usual Principal Jaha had good ideas, he just had poor execution and which cause Clarke to act immoral. Technically, Clarke's hatred of the boy's team captain made her act immoral, but that was beside the point.

"Don't worry about Clarke, Raven," Octavia said standing behind the goal picking up the balls. The main problem was not playing soccer with the boys' team, it was what Coach Kane had said after the idea was presented that made Clarke want to bite Jaha's head off.

_"__Our Captain Clarke will be working with the boys' captain, Bellamy Blake, until the Homecoming Dance to make sure the fundraiser goes as smoothly as possible." Clarke had given a curt nod towards Coach Kane instead of marching up to Jaha and punching him square in the jaw. If Jaha's son had not been one of Clarke's best friends growing up, maybe she would have done it. _

Jaha had known about Clarke and Bellamy's feud since it had been going on since Elementary school. Wells Jaha and Clarke and been playing soccer on the field at recess when Bellamy Blake seemingly marched over and claimed the field as his own.

_"__The field has two soccer fields on it, we are playing on this one," kindergarten Clarke mustered up to the first grader. "Use the other one."_

_"__Aren't you just the little Princess," he smiled. The same smirk Clarke had seen thousands of times after that first day at recess. "We want both." Bellamy had simply said. And Bellamy Blake had gotten what he wanted. _

"Clarke's just angry because she has to work with my brother," Octavia's smirked.

Clarke kicked the ball over the goal and onto the track behind it, almost hitting a runner.

"Sorry," Clarke yelled towards the runner after the runner had sent her a nasty look.

"Clarke," Octavia shook her head. "Always the one killing people."

"Shut up," laughed Clarke while running to retrieve the ball.

Once Clarke retrieved it, she punted it over the fence to her two teammates who now both stood around the goal line.

"Have you let off enough steam for the things you can't control?" Asked Octavia, smirking again.

Clarke rolled her eyes but also laughed at her friend's spontaneous wisdom. "Yes we can leave." Clarke sighed. Her body had the right loseness and tightness that came after a good work out. "Thanks for staying after practice with me. I just..."

"Oh, no. Here she goes on another rant," Raven complained.

"Shut up," Clarke said again for the second time. "I just feel like this is a waste of time, why couldn't we just play the boys team? Why do we have to combine with them?" And then it hit Clarke- the trial. The school distract had been sued by some of the parents for discrimination against the students from some of the staff. The game would pose as a distraction from the trial. To show that the school as working on unifying its students.

"Clarke," said Octavia. "We all know that you just don't want to work with the same boy who spilled lemonade on your dress and convinced the entire second grade class you peed yourself."

"Oh my God, I remember that," Raven laughed. "That was hilarious."

"Yes, well," Clarke said seriously. "I have moved past that and plan to only look forward. We have both made mistakes."

"I probably should not tell you that my brother plans to make sure six out of the nine players are males then," Octavia said just as the threesome walked into the locker room.

* * *

Clarke was still ranting as they walk into the parking lot. "Misogynist, sexist, fucking asshole who-"

"Did someone say my name?" A low raspy voice hollered from the first car waiting in the loop.

"Bellamy Blake!" yelled Clarke towards the car.

"Yes, Princess?" The nickname had stuck.

"How dare you think you can get away with putting only three members of my team on the field."

"We both know that the Greenfield Grounders plan on doing the same, so why don't you shut your mouth and let my sister get into the car." Clarke didn't move away from the passenger seat window.

"I do not care what the other team is doing, you fucking sexist. I am going to take your fucking penis and rip it off your body, put it in a blender, and then force feed it down your throat before I let you take up more than half the field with your brain-dead players."

"Princess," Bellamy said nonchalantly. "How about we talk this over at lunch tomorrow. I have to be home in a jiffy for some time with a certain someone. So I would prefer not to have my penis ripped off my body. I'm gonna need it in about a half hour."

"Gross," yelled Octavia, moving beside Clarke to get into the car. "My room is next to yours."

Bellamy just drove away leaving a fuming Clarke and a laughing Raven.

* * *

Clarke always went to the art room during her free periods. As a junior, she could now go anywhere she pleased instead of staying in the lunch room or a classroom for study hall and lunch. She had often lost herself in her work so fully that she had missed a couple of classes following her free periods.

"If one was not able to find a Clarke Griffin, one simply needs to find the closest canvas," said a voice snapping Clarke out of her work.

"You're practically Shakespeare," Clarke looked up from her painting at Bellamy and took out her headphones.

"What were you listening to?"

Clarke hated answering this question. Music was very personal for her. Music and art had been the only thing that had gotten her through the deaths of both Wells and her father. Without those two methods of self expression, Clarke would have had no output. She would have erupted from the inside.

"The Beatles." A lie. She had been listening to After the Storm by Mumford & Sons. Clarke knew if she said Mumford & Sons, Bellamy would have claimed all their songs sound the same. So she said The Beatles because she knew Bellamy would have to fight that the Beatles were bad, and that would be an impossible task.

"All of their songs at once?" Bellamy smiled. "That's impressive."

"Hey Jude."

"Basic, but it's fine. Makes sense when you think about it."

"What does," Clarke asked.

"Princess, you are a basic white chic. Of course you would be listening to the most basic Beatles song."

"All of The Beatles songs are basic because it's the fucking Beatles. You would have said I was basic if I was listening to Golden Slumbers."

"Actually, no," for a second, Clarke thought Bellamy looked impressed. "But I would have thought you were lying."

"Why would I lie about the Be-"

"Can we start planning this game?" Bellamy interrupted. "I have somewhere to be."

"Of course you do. But just so you know, I am not willing to compromise on certain aspects."

"I only expected as much."

The couple continued to argue about which players to use and where. They never discussed themselves and what position they each would play. They both understood that Clarke would play Goalie and Bellamy Sweeper, the last person the opposing team had to go through to get to her.

"Whatever the hell we want?" Clarke yelled back. "That's how you think we should handle the game? We are going to need to practice together everyday leading up to next Friday, we should also organize team dinners so that the team can experience bonding. Bonding within the team will allow fluidity on the field. You do know this game will be watched by the entire school, teachers, Principal Jaha, the mayor, don't you?"

"The mayor?" Bellamy laughed. "You mean just your mother?"

"You have no idea what she's like," snapped Clarke. "You don't know what its like to have a mother constantly telling you what to do." Seeing the look on Bellamy's face made Clarke feel guiltier that she would care to admit.

Clarke remembered the day Octavia told her that her mother had been sentenced to twenty years in prison without bale. She remembered Octavia showing up on her doorstep quickly followed by her weeping in Clarke's arms. Clarke had let her sleep in her bed that night. Clarke had hugged her best friend until the sobs had stopped and Octavia had fallen asleep with tears still staining her cheeks.

She could not imagine how hard it had been on Bellamy too.

The word 'mother' was sensitive around the Blake siblings.

"Sorry," Clarke rubbed her eyes. "I am really tired. Do not listen to what I have to say."

"On any matter? Because I would love to have six players on the field."

Clarke playfully punched Bellamy in the arm. "What ever the hell _you_ want, Blake," but she was actually very thankful that he seemed to forgive her slip up.


	2. Chapter II: The Warm Up

Raven admired the couple as they stood commanding excellence effortlessly from their teammates.

"We are going to be working hard the next two weeks together until these two team work as one efficiently and smoothly."

"We will not be able to do so if we cannot work together," stated Clarke.

Raven remembered a time when they couldn't stand to look at each other. Despite the suffering that both Raven's leader and the leader standing next to her had, Raven wondered why it took so long for them to finally realize that not only were they powerful leaders but that when they stood together, they could command even the stubbornness, such as Octavia.

"Bellamy," questioned John Murphy. Raven rolled her eyes knowing that whatever would come out of the delinquent's mouth next was going to be offensive to Clarke. And she was right. "Why should we even start with any of them on the field. We won nationals last year."

"Unless it escaped your notice Murphy, so did-" Clarke rested a hand on Bellamy's arm motioning him to calm down. Raven looked over at Octavia who was already smirking at the couple.

"This is an event to gather money for the school's dance. Not only will the event show the talent of the school's sport organization but as we play together, as one, we will be a representation of unity and the strength of unity to the community. In these times," Clarke was referencing the law suit between the school district and the parents for discrimination of students in the school by the staff. "we need to be an example to not only our peers but to our parents and teachers the power we have together."

Raven couldn't help but notice the sudden respect Bellamy glanced towards his fellow captain in that moment.

This made Raven think back to the incident in the middle school cafeteria. Bellamy was in eighth grade while Raven, Clarke, and Octavia were in seventh grade. Raven knew Murphy had made huge strides since his bullying days in junior high, yet she couldn't forget the day when Bellamy and Clarke had started a fight by fighting about whether or not to fight Murphy.

_"I heard him telling her she was so ugly that she should live under the floor boards," Bellamy had yelled at Clarke who stepped in front of Bellamy on his way over to smashing his fist into Murphy's face. _

_"I heard that, too," Clarke had said back in not such a loud voice as his but still as powerful if not more. "But that doesn't mean you should get in trouble for his mistakes."_

_"Mistakes?" Bellamy became even angrier. " Bullying is not a mistake. It is an act of cowardliness towards others in search of power." _

_"Either way, nothing good will come out of violence." _

_"Except in revenge for justice."_

_"Revenge does not equal justice."_

_"How would you know, Princess?"_

_Raven had been watching from the lunch table behind where the two had stood facing each other. She felt her heart tear for Clarke. Raven knew Clarke had more experience with violence and revenge than anyone else at her age. Raven knew Clarke would never admit to what she had seen between her parents as a child. Especially not to Bellamy Blake. _

_"If you want to help your sister," Clarke said carefully. "If you truly care about her, you will ask me to sneak you into the girls' bathroom so you can comfort her. Beating up her abuser will not help her, it might even cause her more pain."_

_"How would it cause her pain?"_

_"We both know Murphy won't stop bullying. He's a bully, it is who he is. He finds ways. The only thing you can do is tell her that Murphy has no idea what he is talking about. That when Murphy bullies her, it is not against Octavia, it is for himself. It is to gain power over something. He's has control over nothing in his life, except Octavia. If you tell her to keep her face straight snd not give Murphy the satisfaction of an effect, that will be an even greater form of justice than smashing his face in."_

_Raven remembered Bellamy not saying a word after that. He picked up his backpack which had been lying at his feet, swing it over his back and headed towards the girls' bathroom. _

_Clarke, seeing where he was going, picked up her own backpack and followed Bellamy to his sister. _

Raven knew Bellamy seemed like the figure head out of the two captains, and yet, Raven really knew who controlled the other.

"The starting line up will be Octavia as forward, Raven as left wing," Clarke started.

"Finn as right wing, Murphy in the middle, Monty and Jasper in the back," Bellamy continued.

"Bellamy as sweeper."

"And Clarke as goalie." They each finished nodding towards each other. "Now, we are going to start team dinners every other night after practice."

"Practice will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 everyday until Homecoming next Friday." Groans erupted from both teams. Raven kept quiet. She knew that union was going to take time and effort.

"However," Clarke said with a smile. "Sunday practice will be held at 9:00 under the lights here on the turf." Their were some smiles and yelps of happiness. Raven, herself, even let the corners of her mouth lift. She loved night practices. There was something about playing soccer under the lights that made it all the more intense. But a good intense, it made her stomach twist in knots of excitement. It made her want to play better. To be better.

"We expect everyone to show up to every practice since there is no difference between the new schedule and the old. Just because neither of our coaches will be at any of the practices, do not think we will be lenient on lateness or mouthing off," Bellamy aimed the last part at Murphy and Octavia. Raven smirked at her best friend.

Murphy rolled his eyes and Octavia gave a fake gasp of astonishment. This caused Clarke to let out a laugh earning her a glare from Bellamy, which Raven had to bite her tongue in order to keep back a bark of laughter.

"We will start today's practice," Clarke sobered up fast. "With four laps around the field. Each player from the women's team will match up with someone from the men's team."

"Raven and Murphy," Raven stood taller, refusing to meet eyes with the poor excuse of a man. "Lead the charge," Bellamy commanded of them.

"Bellamy and I will be in the back."

"If we hear any mouthing off, we will add two laps to the four laps at the end of practice."

"You may talk if it does not disturb the pace," Clarke nodded towards Bellamy signalizing the end of their paired instructions.

Raven nodded towards John, "C'mon, Murphy."

Unexpectedly to Raven, Murphy fell in line with her as everyone started to follow behind them. They both started off slower to let everyone find a partner and get in line.

Neither of them talked and yet Raven couldn't help but feel that she wanted to say something. She saw how Bellamy and Clarke had come past their differences so fast. She did not believe that her and Murphy could do it as fast as they had, but if Bellamy and Clarke could do it, maybe they had a chance as well.

Raven glanced behind her to see if the group was following.

Raven had known why Bellamy and Clarke had picked her and Murphy to lead the warm up laps. They both had excellent endurance and knew a pace in which each of the teams could handle.

They had already ran three out of the four laps and there still had not been a spoken word between them.

"Pick up the pace," yelled Bellamy from the back as they had crossed their starting point signifying their last lap.

Raven and Murphy easily ran a little faster but Raven heard heavier footsteps behind her as well as groans and heavier breathing.

"You think they are trying to kill some members of the team?" joked Murphy.

"If they were, you'd probably be the first," Raven said bitterly.

"Ouch, Reyes." They continued a few feet before Raven replied.

"If you beat me in this lap, I'll give you a clean sheet."

"But if you beat me, you will remain hating me? That seems quite immoral."

Raven shrugged.

Murphy smirked before saying, "You're on."

They both sprinted off, leaving the group behind them wondering if this is what Bellamy and Clarke meant as 'picking it up.'

By the end, Murphy was a foot in front of Raven. However, right before the ending, he had come to a halt. Before Raven could react, she beat Murphy across the starting point.

"Why did you do that," she said breathless.

Murphy shrugged. "I don't want you to stop hating me because of our skills at running. I want to earn your trust."

Raven stared wide eyed at Murphy. _Shit_, she thought as the rest of the two teams caught up to them. _That was not what I was expecting. _


	3. Chapter III: The Scrimmage

Chapter Three:

Bellamy had noticed a difference in the way the women's team and his team were working together. We didn't know when it started to change. He had seen everyone's reluctant faces when Coach Pike had told them of the fund raiser. He never thought in a million years that he teammates would listen to not only him, but Clarke as well.

He didn't even know when Clarke and him started to get along. It sort of just happened.

Maybe it was last night's dinner at the Griffin home when the males and the females started to bond.

_ It hadn't escaped Bellamy's notice that his younger sister had sat next to Jasper. He had studied them across the table. _

_Jasper was shy at first to say anything to her. But Bellamy knew that his younger sister would have no trouble talking to him first. They started by talking about chemistry and that somehow moved to talking about hiking. Bellamy had lost track of where the conversation had headed after that. _

_He looked at the opposite side of the table. Bellamy saw Clarke blush at something Finn said. Bellamy felt a tug in his stomach. Even though he had chosen Finn as a starting player, he never really liked the guy. There was something about him that told him he couldn't trust him._

_Bellamy knew he had a reputation with ladies, nothing like Bellamy's, but still. He wondered by Clarke would be fooled by his charms. _

_He looked around the table further. Luckily, the Griffins had had a large enough table to fit twenty people, the other teammates were scattered around the room on the various spotless couches. _

_Bellamy couldn't imagine having such a nice living room and then allowing teenagers to eat near priceless paintings and on glass tables. _

_He spotted Charlotte, the youngest member on the women's varsity team, accompanied by two of his players. Finn had just sat down on the other side of Charlotte and John was joking with her. All three of them started laughing. _

_"Now that's something I thought I'd never see," said Clarke coming up behind Bellamy. _

_"The team seems to be coming along faster than we thought," he said in return. _

_The couple stared around the room admiring how the team was bonding in silence. _

_"We should plan out this week's practice," Clarke said motioning to an empty corner of the table. _

_"Do you always work, Princess?" He was surprised when she smiled instead of rolling her eyes. _

_"No one ever said it was easy being Princess, did they?" He was even more surprised when he involuntarily let out a laugh before sitting down._

* * *

"You're never going to end up playing this weekend if you can't even run!" Murphy yelled at Finn who had stopped to clutch his side.

The team was running a lap as Bellamy and Clarke were cleaning up from the last drill involving many cones set up across the entirety of the field.

"Maybe we should let the little girl," Murphy said pointing at Charlotte, "take your place for you." The whole team had stopped running to watch Murphy yell at Finn.

"Chill, Murphy," said Raven sharply. Everyone had known Finn had trouble breathing when it was extra warm out.

"Why should I?" Murphy started looking at the teenagers that had started to form around him. "The Grounders are going to whoop our asses if we can't handle running in any condition."

"I just need water and I'll be fine," Finn said confidently back.

"Murphy," Bellamy said coming up through crowd, "get him some water. Then continue to run around the field again," Bellamy said slightly below a yell. "Everyone else, finish your lap and then get a water break."

Murphy grudgingly ran another lap, but Bellamy and Clarke had no further problems with Murphy that day so they were pleased.

* * *

It was Friday and Bellamy was content. Practice had been going great and he felt that the team was improving since the Murphy incident. Murphy had been keeping to himself except for when a was partnered with Raven. Bellamy was surprised to see the two often joking around.

Bellamy had just arrived to the turf after school, only Murphy, Clarke, Raven, Octavia, Charlotte, and Finn had been there. Bellamy had been about to set his bag down when he saw a bag with a camping knife and medical tape lying across the turf.

"Murphy!" Bellamy yelled picking up the bag. "Stop leaving your knife around. People are going to step on it and slice their feet open."

Murphy walked over from kicking the ball into the net and picked up the bag and tossed it onto his soccer bag. Without looking back at Bellamy, he ran back over to the goal and started shooting again.

Bellamy shook his head. What was up with that kid? He thought.

It was right before they started their warmup up lap when Bellamy heard Finn scream in pain. Bellamy's head whipped around to see Finn screaming with his shoe partly on.

Bellamy and Clarke were at his side in a second.

"What happened?" Clarke questioned.

"It feels like something is stabbing into my foot," Finn half cried, half screamed.

"I'm going to pull your shoe off, okay?" Clarke said calmly to Finn. She turned to Bellamy. "Call an Ambulance."

"Shouldn't we see how bad it is first."

"There's going to be a lot of blood," Clarke pointed her eyes at the blood already dripping out of his shoe.

After Bellamy had called 911, he returned to Clarke's side. The team had circled around Finn. "Everybody back! Give him space!" Everyone quickly backed away and started whispering about the knife that Clarke had pulled out of Finn's shoe.

"Why would there be a knife in your shoe?" Bellamy said before he looked at the knife.

Finn seemed to be in too much pain to be contributing to the conversation.

Clarke held the blood covered knife up. Bellamy recognized it immediately even if it didn't have JM scratched into the handle. "J.M. John Murphy."

Clarke and Bellamy had told the team to set up a drill and practice it while they carried Finn closer to the parking lot.

"What do we tell the team?" said Bellamy as they watched Finn get loaded into the ambulance to be stitched up.

"They have a right to know."

"A right to know that a member of their team stabbed someone?"

"That Murphy stabbed someone."

"No," Bellamy said simply but still with enough force to anger Clarke.

She started to run down toward where the team was practicing. As the couple approached the team, they heard Murphy yelling that no one was allowed any water until the end of practice. Clarke and Bellamy had reached them when Murphy was screaming in Jasper's face.

"Water makes you weak," he yelled.

"You, son of a bitch," Clarke pushed him before Bellamy could think of a way to stop her.

"What's your problem," Murphy chuckled. Bellamy knew this was a big mistake but he didn't know what to do instead. Clarke had always been right about everything else. Maybe she was right about telling everyone. Maybe everyone did have a right to know.

"Recognize this?" Bellamy watched Clarke raise Murphy's bloody knife in the air. No, he thought. This was not the right way.

"That's my knife, where did you find it?" Murphy's voice was shaking as he glanced at Bellamy. Bellamy was still as he watched nervously the event happen in front of him.

"In Finn's cleat!" She yelled baring her teeth. "After you placed it there."

"After I what?" Bellamy moved to beside Clarke. He didn't approve that this was the way to handle it, but like Clark said, we need to be an example to our peers of the power we have together. Bellamy stood next her but couldn't move backwards or forwards.

"I know what you did," Clarke kept her words clean and sharp, "and you're going to pay for it."

"Really?" Murphy asked with a smile. That is when everything changed for Bellamy. How could he smile? Just stand there and smile. And then Murphy looked at him with the same smile in his eyes. Same confidence. "Bellamy, you really believe this crap?"

Bellamy stood there. He crossed his arms and said nothing. What could he say?

"You threatened him and told him he shouldn't play in the fundraiser," Clarke answered for Bellamy. "We all heard you. You hate Finn."

"Plenty of people hate Finn."

"You're the only one who told him he shouldn't play. And now he can't."

"I was just telling him he shouldn't be playing with his weakness."

"You told Jasper the same thing!" Octavia yelled, now standing beside Bellamy. Bellamy felt some annoyance as his little sister spoke. This was not going to end well.

"Come on. This is ridiculous." Murphy stated. "I don't have to answer to you." He stated to Clarke. "I don't have to answer to anyone!" He said louder while moving towards the rest of the team.

"Come again?" Bellamy was surprised when he heard his voice confidently echo in the still air. Bellamy saw Murphy stop and look apologetic towards him.

"Look," Murphy walked closer to Bellamy so he could talk normally. "Bellamy, look. I didn't do it."

"Your knife was in his cleat."

"Is this the kind of team unity you want to show the town?" Clarke started lecturing the the team. "One that puts knives in each other's cleats as if they were our backs."

Clarke turned towards Bellamy with a menacing look. Not something Bellamy was expecting. "What ever the hell we want, huh?" she questioned bitterly as if it were Bellamy's fault. He knew it wasn't and yet he could help but feel a mood of guilt wash over him. He would make this right. He would make Murphy pay. "Is this the kind of society we want to be in?"

"I already told you," Murphy spoke up again. "I didn't do anything."

"Maybe he wouldn't do it again if we break his foot," a voice called out. There were some nods.

"Revenge isn't justice." Bellamy had heard that line before.

A man came forward and started to punch Murphy in the stomach before anyone could make any move to stop him. A crowd formed around the fight.

"Stop!" Clarke yelled. "Leave him alone!" Bellamy was baffled at her quick change of stance. First she wanted him to pay and now she wanted him to remain unharmed.

Bellamy stood. Unable to pick his feet up from the turf. It was as if the turf had melted and stuff the plastic of his cleats the the rubber.

Octavia moved beside him and it took all his strength to hold her back from joining the chaos.

"I know you, Bellamy. I know you're not a bully." Clarke showed up next to Bellamy.

He faintly shook his head.

"You are a leader, Bellamy." She continued to plead with him. "We all saw it. I know you can stop this," Clarke tried to reason.

"This is on your head too, Princess!" Bellamy saw as his use of his nickname for made her cringe. It was fine when he used it when teasing her, not like this. This was different. This was real. He felt a stab of guilt but pushed it away. He knew this was not the right way.

"You can't do this!" She yelled back into the crowd having no effect.

Someone started a chant within the crowd that Bellamy kick his face. Bellamy was wondering what kind of actual society they lived in. It wasn't the society he thought. He wasn't surrounded with level headed people such as Clarke and himself.

"Bell-a-my!" Echoed in his brain.

"No, Bellamy!" Clarke yelled in his face.

"This is on you, Princess." There is was again. "You should have kept your mouth shut!" He yelled back at her.

"Stop!" a clear innocent voice rang out amongst the other deeper ones. "Okay?" It was Charlotte. "Murphy didn't hurt Finn, I did!"

"Oh my god," Clarke covered her mouth in shock as the teammate stopped hurting Murphy. Bellamy shared a look with her. They reached for Charlotte while keeping their eyes on Murphy. His face covered in blood. Now that there was order again, Bellamy took his chance to seize control.

He grabbed his teammate's arm. "You are cut from this team and if you say a word of any of this to anyone, you will make sure your face will never be seen at this school ever again." Bellamy's own low raspy voice echoed his head.

He then looked around to see other's waiting for a command. "Jasper, get ice from the nurse!" Bellamy yelled.

"Monty," Clark ordered. "Go with him and see if a nurse can come down here to look at Murphy."

Bellamy reached for Octavia's arm. "Go with them and make sure they think it was a soccer accident."

As people started to help Murphy get cleaned up to see how bad his body actually was without it covered in blood, Bellamy and Clarke grabbed Charlotte.

"Why, Charlotte?" Bellamy questioned first. He asked her softly as he had down with Octavia when he wanted to get something out of her.

"I was doing it for John."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Clarke said a little too loudly and sharply.

"I thought since Finn wasn't strong enough to play, that I could take his place. But I knew you guys wouldn't cut him so I thought I would do it myself. It was all for John."

"You can't just go around stabbing people, Charlotte," Clarke scolded her loudly.

"Please don't let him hurt me," she cowered.

"We won't." Bellamy said looking at Clarke who seemed lost for words. The couple looked over at Murphy who had Raven cleaning out his cuts with her water bottle. The couple looked at ease considering all that had just happened.


	4. Chapter IV: The New Game Plan

"We need a new plan," Clarke watched Bellamy put his hands over his face.

"A whole new game plan," Clarke was determined. She took a sip from her coffee.

The captains had decided to meet up for coffee the next morning after last nights practice. They both were not sure how they let things get out of hand. They knew they were both at fault for how things had gone wrong. And yet, they had no clue how to fix what had gone wrong.

"Murphy, obviously, cannot be punished," said Bellamy after taking a gulp of coffee.

"I mean, he didn't do anything wrong. I'm surprised he hasn't tried to take revenge in any way."

Bellamy sighed.

"What?" Clarke questioned. She knew he was keeping something back.

"I know it may not seem like it, but Murphy has changed," Bellamy said tentatively.

"How can you say that? Even after all we saw last night, you think he's changed?"

"Did you seem him fight back? I'm not sure about you but I have seen Murphy throw some pretty awful punches before. And he didn't try to hit Smith back once."

Clarke stayed silent for a second, found her words, and spoke. "Just because someone doesn't use violence as a punishment doesn't mean they aren't a bully. Murphy strips people down with verbal abuse. In my opinion, this is worse."

"You forget he did that before as well as physical abuse."

"So you are saying that he has improved just by the way he chooses to abuse others?"

"Have you seen the way he is with Raven?"

"Yes. I have been meaning to talk to her about that."

"I think they are cute together. Raven brings out the softer side of Murphy," Bellamy inputted. This was the last thing Clarke would have thought she would hear Bellamy say. She didn't peg him as the romantic type.

"Raven shouldn't be dealing with his shit, though."

"Maybe she wants to," Bellamy said passively.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Bellamy took another sip of his coffee before laying it back down on the wooden table. "That maybe Raven doesn't mind dealing with Murphy's shit because she likes him. She doesn't think spending her time with Murphy is a waste."

"But how can she like him? They barely know each other," Clarke said, not really getting it.

"People probably say the same thing about us," Bellamy said. Clarke stared at him, trying to read his expression. He looked down at his coffee instead while starting to stir it.

"Yeah," Clarke wasn't thinking. If she was, maybe she would have chose her next few word more carefully. "But we aren't friends."

Bellamy stopped stirring and looked up from his coffee. Clarke saw a hardness in his face that wasn't there before. _Shit_, she cursed to herself.

"I-I mean," she stuttered. "It complicated." She watched as the hardness did not go away.

"Just like everything else it seems," said Bellamy vaguely.

"I think we should keep Murphy in the line-up."

"Were you planning on removing him from it?"

"Well, after his behavior yesterday-"

"You mean how you falsely accused him of stabbing someone."

"It's not like you didn't think it was him as well."

"I wasn't going to announce it in front of everyone before we were sure. Unlike you, I sometimes don't think _the people have a right to know_."

"People should always know."

"So are you going to tell me about your mom then?"

"What?" said Clarke thinking that this question had nothing to do with what they were talking about.

"I am the people."

"It doesn't mean you have a right to know about my private life."

"So I guess," Bellamy said coldly. "We really aren't friends."

"I never thought we were." Clarke said just as cold. "We are obviously too different that we can't even agree to disagree." Clarke wasn't done. For some reason, she felt the need to give example. "Since we were in Elementary school, you have always disagreed with me to disagree with me. You were prejudice towards me from the beginning. You never wanted to listen to me. Even though I often voiced reason, you refused. And now, you think Murphy should be unpunished for bullying members of the team," Clarke let out a humorless laugh. "And you even think Raven belongs with him."

"Less likely people have worked better together," Bellamy said softly.

"Maybe I'll talk to Murphy about it instead." Clarke was not paying close enough attention to Bellamy to hear him. "Tell him about Raven's relationship with her car," Clarke made a poor joke.

"Can you just stop!" Bellamy said just below a shout. A few coffee drinkers in the surrounding tables glanced over at them. "Stop trying to control everyone else's life because your mother controls all of yours," Bellamy changed his voice to just above a whisper.

"You can go to hell." Clarke stood up from the table. Grabbed her half drunken coffee off the table and left the shop without stealing a glance at Bellamy.

* * *

_How dare he_, Clarke thought to herself. How dare he act as if he knows what I go through every day.

It was eight o'clock and she had a half an hour before she had to get ready for their late night soccer practice. Unlike everyone's first reactions to getting time on the turf at night, Clarke was sure everyone was now dreading it.

_What would Murphy do?_

_How is he going to react?_

_Is Finn going to blame him?_

_Does Raven still have a crush on him?_

_Will Bellamy stop being such an asshole to the point where they might be able to function again as co-captains?_

All the questions were jumbled around in Clarke's head. She hated to say it, but she was the most worried about her relationship with Bellamy. Before they were forced to work together, just under a week ago, Clarke's relationship with Bellamy had always been about prejudice. Neither of them felt they needed to change their views on the other. Both were fine with the other hating them. But now, it was more complicated relationship.

Even after what she had told him during coffee, Clarke had actually wanted them to get along for once. And for the first time since they started being captains together, they weren't getting along. Clarke knew she should have stayed at that coffee shop this morning and continue her talk with Bellamy. But after what he had said, she couldn't at the time. If he had said 'stop trying to control everyone else's life because your mother control yours,' two weeks ago, she wouldn't have been phased. But now, she liked to think that they had gotten to know each other enough to where he would know not to make comments abut her mom to her.

Well she was wrong. Bellamy Blake was no friends of hers.

Ding. Clarke looked at the message appear on her phone.

Octavia: Here

Clarke: I thought Raven was picking us up

Octavia: she couldn't last minute

Clarke: I'll be right out

Clarke grabbed soccer bag before grabbing her two water bottles already filled in the refrigerator. When she stepped outside, she saw Bellamy's car instead. She squinted her eyes to see the driver. Bellamy.

He gave her a weak smile.

For the millionth time that day, Clarke thought, _how dare he_.

* * *

"Where's Octavia?" Clarke said before Bellamy had a chance to say anything.

"Raven's giving her a ride."

Clarke stayed silent. Maybe if she didn't give an answer, Bellamy wouldn't say anything.

She was wrong.

"Look, Clarke-"

"I don't want you to apologize."

"And why is that?" He asked Clarke, more confused than bitterly.

"Because if you apologize than it means that you actually feel bad about what you said."

"Than I will apologize. Clarke," they came to a red light and so Bellamy turned his full attention to her. "I should have never mentioned your mother. I understand you have a bad relationship with her and I should have known that you would have gotten defensive about her just as I would have about my parents."

Bellamy waited for her to respond but all she said was, "Green."

He looked up at the light to see that is was indeed green.

"And you were wrong," Clarke noticed that he seemed to continue no matter how much he seemed to be admitting. "we are friends." He looked over at Clarke who was working hard to keep her eyes pinned on the road. "Through all the shit we have pulled on each other, I truly believe that we have become closer. I think that we are strong together. And as much as I hate to admit it," Bellamy sighed but smirked a little bit, "I like being by your side."

Clarke remained silent but looked at Bellamy with startled eyes.

"But I don't think you understand Clarke. Murphy's blood is on our hands, too," she was beginning to believe it. " And need to start acting like team leaders if we are going to convince the team and the entire town.

"But convince them of what?" She finally spoke. "You saw it with your own eyes last night. We aren't united. We would just be putting on a facade. We would be lying to the people."

"Maybe they need a lie. Sometimes a lie can be good."

"Maybe we don't deserve to be united."

"Who are you? When did you become this person?" Bellamy's voice rose again as did his temper. "When did you become this negative force of energy?"

"I haven't become anything. This is who I am. You just didn't know me well enough to know that."

"What about when we were younger, huh?"

"What do you mean? You have always hated me, especially when we were younger."

"Is that what you think?"

"If you didn't hate me, then way play such cruel jokes on me? Why be so mean to me?"

"I've always had respect for you Clarke. I might have found you annoying at times and a know-it-all when you would try to advise me on how to parent Octavia, but other then that…"

"How could you have respected me, we were so young."

"You have always known what the right thing to do was."

"Except how to handle the team yesterday, apparently."

"Actually, yes." Bellamy gave her a sideways smile. "That is the first time I believe you acted with hate instead of reason. In a way, you became me."

"Oh God, I hope not," Clarke laughed.

"You wish, Princess."


	5. Chapter V: The Practice

Murphy didn't know what this practice would be like. His nose had definitely been broken by his teammates, but what was even a bigger issue, he didn't know who was on his side. He thought Bellamy would have stopped the fighting yesterday, but when Murphy had heard the crowd chanting his name, he wasn't so sure.

Bellamy and him had turned their hostile relationship into a civil one. One of almost respect. At least, on Murphy's part. He still wasn't sure what his captain thought of him.

Bellamy had texted him last night to make sure he was okay and to let him know that what had happened was not his fault. He had texted, _the blood also lies on Clarke and my hands. She is having trouble coming to this conclusion. But don't worry, Ill make her see reason as she has made me see many times before._

Murphy looked up to Bellamy more than anyone. It had been a change from middle school when Bellamy had beaten up Murphy a couple of times for bullying his little sister._ Rightfully so_, Murphy now thought.

When he saw Clarke and Bellamy walking towards the field, both in small smiles, his faith was restored. Maybe the team did have a chance after all.

"Do we even deserve to win?" Clarke questioned to the group once everyone had arrived. "After what happened yesterday, I am not sure."

Murphy watched Clarke look over at Bellamy. He seemed to remain silent to let her speak.

"I am not sure," she said quieter. Murphy watched Bellamy smile a little bit as if he was happy that she had come to this conclusion. Maybe Clarke had understood that what had happened was partly because of them. Murphy still was sure that he was still at fault as he had started the fight, but he admired the couple even more for believing their roles as leaders continued to his protection. "But what I do know," she continued more confidently, "Is that our goal is the same. It may seem harder now. But we can," she now only looked at Bellamy. "Unite," she said slowly but completely genuine. "We are who we are. And we better be a fucking badass united team," she said with a smile. Bellamy laughed as the rest of the team joined in.

"So for tonight's practice," Bellamy said as everyone quieted down. "We are going to-"

* * *

The team all sat in a circle around the center circle. Bellamy and Clarke had asked the team to all share what they thought was holding the team back from being one. They used a soccer ball as a talking stick to make sure no one would talk over each other. Murphy had thought this was a stupid way dealing with yesterday. They weren't at camp.

"They made you see if people could be better and band together." Jasper looked at his bare feet stretched out on the turf in front of him. "From what I've seen, we can't."

"Jasper!" Octavia said.

"Let him talk, O," Bellamy said calmly.

"We can't," Jasper repeated.

"We can't," Murphy joined in. "_I_ can't." Bellamy had never seen Murphy like this. "This team has been asked to do something inhuman. Humans can't join together. We never have been able to. We are the only species tat act against our own self interest. Why do you guys think that is?"

"You believe that once a relationship has been created it can't change, John?" asked Raven.

Murphy stayed silent. Her use of his first name had caught him off guard.

"Look at Clarke and Bellamy." Murphy watched in awe as she easily captured the circle's attention. "They hated each other. And now they seem like a married couple." There were some chuckles around the group. "But they lead so effortlessly together that its hard not to imagine they have some respect for each other. Yes?" Murphy saw that she wanted confirmation from the two captains.

"Of course," Bellamy said easily. It took Clarke a little longer to reply.

"Yes, although it has been hard."Clarke said slowly. "But it has been hard for all of us," She sighed. "Some of you believe we can not be unified. But can't you guys see? We already are." She turned towards Bellamy but still spoke to her teammates around her. "I didn't realize it until now, but in that past week, we," she began. "We have grown a sense of respect for each other. And I truly believe this. We can show the town what actual unity looks like. And it won't be fake."

"How?" Murphy said shyly. "I am proof that this team is one full of backstabbing and prejudice."

"Are you?" Asked Bellamy. "Because from what I've seen, you are just as much part of this team as anyone else."

"No," Murphy couldn't help but disagree with the compliment. "I am not"

"Murphy, you want to be the best. You always have. I know you are proud of this team. You see at a reflection of your own self. You don't want any weaknesses on the team just as you are afraid of any weakness inside yourself. If you see any, you want to get rid of it."

"Fighting is all we know," Raven said to herself as much as Murphy. "It is something our parents have installed in our brains."

"Keep fighting," Clarke said bitterly. "Something my mom would always say to me."

"You can't afford to be weak," Bellamy started.

"Here," Octavia finished. "Weakness is failure."

"They were wrong." Clarke says strongly. " In weakness, comes strength. It shows pain. And in pain, comes understanding. Doesn't it, Murphy." Murphy looked at her. He gave her a curt nod. He knew more than most what pain did. But he had no choice but to continue. _To keep fighting. _

_"_I knew we were actually united when you all cheered for Bellamy last night. Both women and men. But if we continue down that road, we will self destruct. We cannot continue to hate each other. We do not have to like every person on the team, but we must respect each other."

"If you must, use Clarke and I as an example."

Clarke laughed lightly. "None of us is innocent when it comes to hate." She turned to the group and Murphy knew whatever she would say next wouldn't matter, because he would follow Clarke and Bellamy anywhere, as long as they were together. "But the things that we have done to get here don't define us. It's what we do when we get here that does."


End file.
